Why creating a positive user experience matters
So by now we all known that the content of the website matters to SEO; things like captions and meta descriptions can help boost your website’s SEO. Similarly, the user experience (or UX) of a website also plays a large role. UX is defined as how the user interacts or feels when using the website.
Design aspects that affect UX
For example, the colors of the website you’re on right now (doesn’t it look great, right?) are light and airy, with a lot of the design choices reflecting soft edges or spheres. That was an intentional design choice so that the user felt relaxed and inspired by design. On the other hand, if a user views a website that relies on squares, minimalist design, and neutral colors, that may lead the user like they can trust the rigidity of the site. Of course, looking at colors and shapes is a very surface-level overview of UX, but you get the picture. Things like graphs, images, and how the content is displayed also further impact UX.
Additionally, there are several things that can negatively impact UX. Things like excessive popup ads, HTTPS security, and core web vitals play a huge role (more on that last one later). I know personally that if I get more than one popup ad, I’m immediately annoyed and don’t want to use the website anymore. While popups can be great for pushing new sales or newsletter incentives, it’s important to be considerate of the user’s time.
So how do I improve UX?
Thankfully there are ways to ensure that the UX on your site is up to par with Google’s standards. Here is a link to the Core Web Vitals report from Google, a report that aims to enhance user experience. While this is not the only tool you should consider, this report would be a great step in the right direction.
By fixing UX errors, you can reduce site abandonment by over 20%, improve web conversions, and boost advertising revenue by 18%. How people feel when they view a website matters, and enhancing that experience lets the user trust the site which can lead to more conversions, more revenue, and a happier user.
Sources:
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ux-design-seo/476959/
